Trends in the Home Security Industry
15-20 years ago people paid a huge, upfront cost ($3K-10K) for their home security systems, and the technology they used was a basic, hardwired panel over a land line that would notify the central station of the emergency through a dialup connection. At this point, only about 5% of homes had security systems. Then, about 10 years later, APX Alarm and others came along and made home security more affordable, but the technology had remained basically the same, with the only major upgrade being wireless technology.
But in the last 3 years, technology has exploded. Now everyone is doing everything on their smart phones, like money transfers, Facebook and Skype; but until recently, the security industry had remained the same. This was mainly because upgrading the technology would require the larger security companies to go out and make those system changes for all of their millions of customers, and there was enough pressure on the industry that nobody wanted to change.
Our Vision
When we chose 2-Gig and Alarm.com as our partners, we asked ourselves, “What do we believe is the future for home security?” Since so many people have ditched their land lines for cell phones, we wanted to use a cellular technology that would allow people without a land line to:
- Communicate through a two-way voice panel
- Have the peace of mind that their system would never be disabled because someone cut their phone line
- Receive automatic updates to their system software without having to schedule an appointment with a tech
When we designed our “Safe, Smart” home security system, we envisioned a beautiful color touch-screen panel that would become a platform in the home to serve the family and allow them to conveniently control their home. In other words, we wanted more than a mere home security system; we wanted a service system that would be able to do many different jobs for the customer.
We wanted our customers to be able to use their computers and smart phones to arm and disarm their system, check on their kids, receive notifications, view video surveillance, adjust their thermostat, turn the coffee pot on, and control their lights and door locks. we wanted a simple to operate, affordable system which would let homeowners take advantage of our years of HVAC experience to reduce their energy footprint.
Living the Dream
What started as a dream is now a reality for our customers!
Have your kids ever forgotten to lock the door when they run out? Mine do. But right now on my phone I can check to make sure all my doors are locked, and I can turn off all my lights and appliances with a touch of a button. Getting locked out of my house will never be a problem for me again. I can program a timer on my lights when we are gone on vacation.
The energy management, 2 way voice, home automation and severe weather alert services have added a lot of value to the Burns & McBride Smart, Safe home security system. People are experiencing this value and embracing it and, because of this, other companies are adopting similar technology. The percentage of people who have security systems in their homes has now grown to around 20%
About Burns & McBride
Our job is to provide essential services to homeowners. one of those essential services is home security and automation. We provide affordable home automation to help protect families, allow them to use energy more wisely and simplify their lives.The Burns & McBride Smart, Safe Home system uses Z-wave technology to tie things like locks, thermostats and lights together so that you can control them whether you are home or away. Burns & McBride has been providing essential home services since 1949. To learn more about Burns & McBride’s Smart, Safe Home can help you – call us at 302-656-5110 or visit our website at www.burnsandmcbride.com
Burns and McBride Smart Home Management 